


Atropa Belladonna

by vagrantBreath



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cats, M/M, Shiro get turned into a cat, shenanigans happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-08-19 14:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8213111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vagrantBreath/pseuds/vagrantBreath
Summary: ”You’ve already named it."”Yeah! Doesn’t it look likes a Belladonna to you? All sleek and black like Atropa Belladonna berries?”Shiro gets turned into a cat.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably not as funny as I think it is but OH WELL.
> 
> Literally, I had a dream I bought a house with my husband and got two cats. One named Belladonna, one named Steve. You can tell who named who. I would like to say that yes, this does confirm I should not be allowed to name things as I will name them after my favorite RWBY characters.

Just five minutes ago, Takashi Shirogane had been a human being.

Just five minutes ago, he had been walking to the bridge, intent on meeting with the rest of the team about Voltron and what had just happened with the Galra.

Now he was looking up at Lance’s wonder-filled face from a few feet below him, making a very pitiful sound. One that should have never come from him.

”Oh my God, Allura, why didn’t you tell me we had _cats_?”

* * *

If Shiro was to be honest, he should have known there would be _something_ from that gunk he got hit with. Nothing ever just happened with them. Lance had to be quarantined the last time they went to a jungle planet. Keith broke too many limbs to count. Hunk and Pidge always knew just enough about the tech to get themselves into trouble.

And now Shiro had been turned into a cat.

It had to happen at some point, he realized as he sat on his hind legs, staring up at them. There had to be some sort of transformation. But Allura had to have something that would let him communicate with the team and let them know who he was and start learning how to change-

”You’re so cute!” Lance’s fingers went straight for the ears. Shiro felt a thrill of alarm just before the blunt fingernails rubbed against the skin and prrrrr... that felt good. His chest rumbled with the purr as he tilted his head into the fingers, something relaxing inside him as Lance continued to scratch.

”We... don’t have cats.” Allura’s voice stilled Lance’s fingers, making them pull back.

”Um, then where did that come from?”

Shiro mewed up at them, turning to Allura. She should have some way of letting him communicate-

”It must have stowed away-”

”Yeah, but our last contact with _anything_ was like a month back,” Lance told her. “We would have seen it by now.”

”Lance is right,” Keith said, hand to his mouth as he looked down at Shiro.

”Please say that again. I need it in my life.”

Keith ignored him. “We would have seen a black cat like this before. And it looks exactly like an Earth cat. Where did this come from?”

”We should treat it as dangerous- _LANCE!_ ”

”Oh come on!” he said, Shiro in his arms. “It’s literally a big black kitty. More affectionate than some of the ones my mom used to feed. Hey look, it kinda looks like Shiro. Has the scar across the nose and the white and everything.”

”You are right...” Allura allowed, leaning in slightly. Shiro looked over at her, mewing. This was useless! He needed- oh, Lance’s fingers were back. Prrrrrrr. “I still think we should put it into containment.”

”Nah, Bella here won’t hurt anyone, will ya, Bella?”

”You’ve already named it,” Keith said flatly.

”Yeah! Doesn’t it look likes a Belladonna to you? All sleek and black like Atropa Belladonna berries?”

”He’s a boy, numbnuts,” Pidge said flatly. “So have fun with cat piss everywhere because if we keep him, he’s in your room.”

”Bella won’t do that, will ya?”

”Fucking hell, you idiot, ’donna’ means- fuck it, you know what it means,” Pidge grumbled. “You’re just being Lance.”

”We should still put it into containment.” Shiro could hear her trying one more time in vain. “We don’t know where it’s been.”

”Nah, I trust Bella.”

”Uh, guys?” Hunk raised his hand a little. “I know we’re all worried about if the cat is safe and all, but if we’re keeping it... we don’t have a litter pan.”

Shiro could feel Lance tense, and he tensed as well.

”You’re scooping the cat’s shit too,” Keith told Lance flatly.

”Fair enough,” Lance said faintly. “Do you think we can teach Bella to be toilet trained?”

”We’re just hoping he’s litter trained.”

Shiro folded his ears back. He was not going to do his business in a litter filled box.

”And we don’t have any cat dishes! Or kibble!” Hunk continued. “We don’t have a lot of cat stuff!”

”You’re feeding the cat too.”

”Fair enough.”

”And what if he needs to sharpen his claws?!”

”If that animal goes anywhere near my stuff or Green with its claws out, I will punt it.”

”Fair enough, Pidge.”

”Are you sure you don’t want me to put it in containment?” Allura tried one more time.

Lance looked down at Shiro. “No,” he finally said, fingers back at Shiro’s ears. “No, I think Bella’ll be okay.”

Shiro looked up at Lance.

He still needed to tell them what happened, though. That he was Takashi Shirogane, the Black Paladin, not a random Earth cat named-

Lance’s fingers found Shiro’s chin.

Prrrrrrr.


	2. Chapter 2

To the team’s credit, it took less than two minutes for Keith to pipe up with “Where’s Shiro? Wasn’t he supposed to meet us here?”

Shiro always knew he was intelligent, if ruled by his instincts.

Lance’s fingers didn’t stop stroking over Shiro’s fur. “Dunno. I’m going to go check on him. Come on, Bella. Let’s go see if Shiro’s okay.” He turned to leave, Shiro still in his arms as Pidge muttered under her breath.

He wouldn’t say it aloud once he turned back to normal, but it felt good to be carried. Especially in the hands of someone who obviously knew how to handle cats. Even more so considering Lance kept scratching him in places that felt very good. Shiro purred, leaning into the touches. He needed to change back- but-

”I know you’re a boy cat,” Lance chuckled as they walked. “I would have named you Shiro if Shiro wasn’t Shiro.” He paused. “Wow, that barely made sense. Anyway. It would have just been confusing to shout ‘Shiro, get off the counter’ around the two of you, and probably pretty insulting to him. So you’re Belladonna.”

They stopped in front of Shiro’s door, and Lance shifted to knock. Shiro mewed, trying to tell him he was right there. He wasn’t going to answer.

”Hm. He usually answers right away. Maybe he’s down in the training room?”

Shiro mmrphed, a noise he didn’t know he could make until he became a cat. It sounded just as disgruntled as he felt, and Lance laughed. “Okay, I’ll put you down,” he said, misinterpreting the noise.

And once Shiro was down on the ground, Lance seemed very big indeed. He followed him, mewing at him. Trying to say he wasn’t going to be in the training room. He was a cat. He was right there.

The training room was empty, of course. Lance was running a hand through his hair, looking very nervous now. “Bella, this isn’t good. He got hit with something last mission. He could be hurt somewhere. And this is a big castle; he could be any-” Lance shut his mouth, inhaling deeply. “Okay. Not helping. Bella, we’re going back to the others. We need more manpower.”

Shiro made another mmrph noise. He was right there!

* * *

”So no one could find him?”

”That’s what we’re saying!” Lance paced in front of Keith as Shiro stood on the other side of Lance, the boy waving his arms. “Shiro is nowhere to be found!”

”Lads, if I may,” Coran started to say delicately. “You did say Shiro had been doused in something, yes? Perhaps...”

”Perhaps? Yes?” Lance was leaning forward, eager.

”Well, it’s just this ‘Belladonna’ looks an awful lot like Shiro. It might be possible whatever he had been doused in may have transformed him into what you call a simple Earth cat.”

Pidge shook her head. “The mass difference is too large.”

”Yeah, I’m with Pidge. Shiro’s a lot bigger than a cat. If it had been like a panther, or a lion, I would believe that. But Bella’s a housecat.” Lance held out his hand to Shiro, pouting when Shiro just looked up at him, offended that he thought he’d sniff it. “Where’d the rest of it go?”

”Hm.” Coran put his hand to his chin. “You’ve held Belladonna with little effort, yes?”

”He’s heavy, but it feels like all muscle. Not like he’s hiding a whole human in there.”

”Hm.”

”Coran,” Allura spoke up. “Do you think we should do some tests on it?”

”I would think so. Come along, Belladonna!”

”He’s a cat,” Lance chuckled. “Cats don’t just listen like that.” He came over to Shiro, plucking him up off the ground and settling him easily in his arms. “There we go. You know, Bella’s really good about being held. Kinda creepy.”

”He’s definitely not a normal cat,” Keith agreed. “Only you would have a weird cat.”

”With a weird name,” Pidge piped up.

”Belladonna is perfectly good name for a cat. Come on, Bella, let’s go figure out if you’re hiding Shiro in there.”

Shiro mewed. YES HE WAS.

* * *

Bless Hunk for keeping a bit of frozen meat, Shiro thought as he chewed a piece of the thawed... whatever it was. So far, the tests had shown he was definitely a cat, and Hunk had pointed out that cats were carnivores. Meat was in order, and Shiro was getting hungry.

But not all the tests had concluded. Some were still awaiting results.

”Do you think I can take Bella back to my room and sleep?” Lance asked, yawning. “I mean, this isn’t even halfway to analyzing... whatever.”

”Lance, if this is Shiro, we should get on changing him back as soon as possible! And that means as soon as we know it is him!”

Lance yawned again, eyeing Coran. “Yeah, but it won’t be done for a few more _hours_ and it’s late and we did a lot of fighting. I think we deserve some sleep. And cats sleep a lot. Anyway, can’t you start working on it without him? You won’t need Bella if Bella’s actually Shiro until it’s ready.”

Coran sighed. “That is true. I suppose you and Belladonna can go rest.”

”Awesome. Come on, Bella.” Lance reached down and scooped Shiro and the plate with his bit of food up. “We’ll be back in the morning.”

Shiro mmrphed. It was a useful noise.

”Don’t talk back, Bella.”

Shiro yawned, unimpressed. He’d talk back all he wanted to. He was a _cat._

... wait, he meant that in the way that he had been changed and was unhappy about that, not...

That was distressing. Was being a cat starting to change his brain?

Shiro settled into Lance’s arms, starting to purr in distress. He might really be turning into a cat, not just temporarily changed. It...

He wanted them to figure out he was Shiro, and fast. They needed to figure out how to change him back sooner rather than later.


	3. Chapter 3

Shiro didn’t know where Lance found the string. He didn’t want to know.

He just wanted Lance to stop dangling it in front of his face.

”Man, you’re a grumpy kitty.” Lance set the string aside, laying back on the bed. He clicked his- _he clicked his tongue at Shiro what the-_ and patted the bed next to him. “At least come sit with me while we wait, Bella.”

Shiro looked up at him, more than a little offended that Lance had _clicked his tongue at him._ But... the bed did look softer than the floor. He gathered his weight under his hind legs, and jumped.

Lance proceeded to laugh as Shiro barely made it onto the bed, scrambling up with claws. It was harder than it looked! “You’re not graceful, are you, Bella,” he chuckled, reaching out to scratch his ears. He sighed softly as Shiro sat down and pushed into the touch, tilting his head to look up at the ceiling. “I really hope you’re not Shiro,” he murmured, barely audible to Shiro’s ears. “I don’t want to explain why I keep calling you that.”

That made Shiro make a questioning sound, and Lance shook his head, laughing. “You heard that, huh? Well, even if you are Shiro, you might not remember this. So... I’ll call you Bella all I want.” He scratched under Shiro’s chin, making him purr.

Slowly, Lance’s fingers stopped, and Shiro looked over at him. His eyes were closed, his breathing starting to even out. Napping, then, Shiro decided. He started to stand, then sat back down. Then laid down carefully. His right front leg felt... different than the other. It looked flesh and blood, but it didn’t seem to react that way. Almost as if it was fur covered but not... organic. Which would make sense. That would be his right arm.

Bella. Lance had another reason for calling him Belladonna other than trying to get a rise out of Keith and Pidge. And yet he had no idea what it was, what it could be.

Shiro closed his eyes. He couldn’t very well ask Lance, and Lance wasn’t going to say. All he could do was wait for Coran to finish his tests and then they could get working on changing him back.

* * *

He wasn’t litter trained, but he could still use a toilet even as a cat. Hah.

Shiro came back to the bed, looking up at it. After the last jump, it seemed so high. He had barely managed to get up on the toilet, and there was no cloth for him to anchor himself on there. That fall would have been extremely undignified.

But with each jump, he did seem to get how to make them a little more. How to alter his balance. Each jump... he got a little more used to be a cat.

But he wasn’t. A cat. Shiro felt his ears fold back as he paced slightly in front of the bed. He was... he was human. He was the Black Paladin. A thought occurred to him and he sat suddenly. He couldn’t pilot Black like this. He couldn’t reach the controls!

They needed to figure out how to change him back, now.

Shiro’s tail lashed at the thought. They didn’t even know he was Shiro.

He shouldn’t jump up to Lance’s bed. He shouldn’t become familiar with his cat body.

But what else was he going to do while he waited? With an internal sigh, Shiro jumped up, feeling proud that he managed to land without having to pull himself up the rest of the way.

”OH MY GOD, BELLA.”

...

Shiro could not stop staring. The audacity. Lance wasn’t sure he was Shiro but actually thought he might be. He had been _sleeping_ when he went to go investigate the bathroom and figure out how to use the toilet in his cat state. Yes, that had taken a good long time, but it shouldn’t have been long enough for Lance to have forgotten he was there!

And yet Lance was pulling his hand away from his half-opened pants and the bulge therein. “You scared the crap out of me,” he breathed. “I thought you had gotten out and were bugging Keith or something. Holy shit.”

Shiro mewed. That was all he could do.

Lance looked down at himself, and laughed awkwardly. “Yeah...” He buttoned back up, sighing. “Bad enough doing that in front of a normal cat. If you really are Shiro, that’s bad on levels I can’t even imagine.”

At least Lance realized it!

He sighed, sitting up. “Come on, Bella. Let’s go see if Coran knows anything yet.”

When Lance came to pick him up this time, Shiro avoided him.

* * *

”I’m sorry, Lance, but there still is not a result. Are you feeling well? You look flushed?”

”Yup! Perfectly fine!”

Shiro mewed.

”Come on, Bella, let’s go bug Keith for a while.”

* * *

Despite all the bluster, Keith actually let him stay on his lap for a good long time. It was... nice. Shiro closed his eyes as Keith’s fingers stroked over his flank, purring.

”I know you’re Shiro,” he said softly. “Who else could you be? Lance is... I don’t know what Lance is doing. But I know you’re Shiro. Pidge knows it. Hunk does too. Everyone but Lance knows it. We just... don’t know what to do about it.”

Shiro tilted his head up slightly. He couldn’t tell Keith that Lance suspected... more likely knew and was denying it to himself.

”Wish you were back to normal,” he muttered. “I miss you.”

Shiro butted his head into Keith’s side. He’d be back to normal soon enough.

Soon enough.


	4. Chapter 4

Despite Keith having very gentle hands while petting him, he wasn’t... Lance. Lance knew exactly where to position his fingers. And in some ways, Lance just _smelled_ better. He couldn’t really put his finger on it, but something about how Lance smelled was just... pleasing. Keith smelled okay, but he really wanted to be over there, curled up with Lance.

Except that he had caught Lance about to start masturbating and he couldn’t think to look the Blue Paladin in the eyes again, much less have those hands smooth across his fur. Embarrassed, Shiro raised a paw and scrubbed at his ears.

”You’re doing more and more cat-like behavior,” Keith murmured, a worried note coming into his voice. “Damn it. Lance, does Coran know anything yet?”

”For the sixth time, no. Geez. If he did, Bella and I would be there already.”

”Why do you call him ‘Bella’? You do know this is Shiro, right?”

Shiro lifted his head to see a blush crawl across Lance’s cheeks and ears. “He looks like a Bella.”

”That makes no sense, Lance.”

It didn’t. But something about that made Shiro continue looking at Lance. Bella... Belladonna... Atropa Belladonna was also known as deadly nightshade. Maybe a reference to his status as leader, and the fact he was very deadly in battle? That didn’t seem like Lance, though...

”Paladins!” Coran’s voice rang over the Castle intercoms. “I now have results! Please meet me in the med bay!”

”Come on, Shiro.” Keith put him down, standing. “Let’s go see what these results are.”

Before he could take one step, Lance was scooping him off the ground. “Let’s go, Bella!”

Keith sighed.

* * *

”The cat is Shiro. Shiro is Belladonna. Will you _please_ stop calling him Bella now?”

Lance was blushing deeply, muttering something under his breath as Pidge turned away from him. “Okay,” she said, looking at the results. “So you said the cat’s Shiro. We all knew that.”

Coran raised a finger. “Yes, but the reason it took me so long was I was researching a cure! See, the-”

”How fast does the cure work?” Keith asked, interrupting him. Coran pouted as Keith continued. “We could get attacked at any time. We need Shiro to be himself, fast.”

”It should be instantaneous,” Coran assured him. “It’s a simple shot, and shouldn’t take more than five ticks to take hold.”

”Welp, I’m out.” Pidge turned to leave. “Like the guy, not a fan of dicks. And I doubt Shiro’s going to be clothed when he’s no longer a cat.”

The rest of them started to turn scarlet, and Shiro rubbed at his ears with a paw. “Perhaps it would be for the best if I administer the shot alone,” Coran told them all. “Come along, Shiro.”

Shiro jumped out of Lance’s arms and followed Coran as the rest of them left. “It should feel like a bit of a pinch,” he told him, picking up a syringe. “I’ll be administering the shot in your hide leg. You should start feeling something in a few ticks, and will soon be yourself again!”

Sounded good. Shiro mewed at him his agreement, waiting.

It did feel like a pinch, and a slight burn. Shiro mmrphed, resisting the urge to lick it.

Five ticks passed.

Fifteen.

Twenty.

”I don’t quite understand,” Coran confessed after thirty ticks. “You should have at least shown some sign of returning to your human form.”

Shiro mewed, purring in distress. What was going on? Was he... going to be a cat forever?

”I’m so sorry, Shiro. It appears the shot has failed. If you will allow me to research a new cure?”

He nodded, mewing. He wanted to be back to human, and soon!

”Thank you. I am truly sorry.”

Shiro mewed again, and got up to leave. He was going to be a cat for a while longer. That was... not good. He was already feeling more and more like a cat. He had wanted to lick that wound! This wasn’t...

This wasn’t good. At all.

”Hey Bella.” Lance’s quiet voice reached him as he picked him up. “Yeah, I know you’re Shiro. Just... let me call you Bella for a little longer. Before you turn back into Shiro and you start asking me why I keep calling you beautiful.”

Beautiful?

He wasn’t-

Lance held him close, fingers stroking over his ears. “It sucks I have to hide this shit in calling you Bella _donna_ ,” he said softly. “You’re not a girl. And it sucks I can’t tell you this when you’re a human and that I’ll probably be hiding my face until I think you’ve forgotten about this or until the next Galra attack. But... you’re always so beautiful to me, Shiro.” He sighed, leaning down to kiss between his ears. “Even before you were a cat, you were beautiful.”

He wasn’t-

”So until you change back, I’m going to call you Bella. I’m going to make the most of of this. I’m not going to ever get the chance ever again.”

Shiro looked up at him, mewing.

Lance chuckled. “I know. I’m pathetic.” He stroked his hand over Shiro’s body, quiet. “Let’s go back to my room,” he told him. “I promise to keep my hands above the waist this time.”

Shiro mmrphed.

Beautiful?

But he wasn’t- How could Lance-?

He wasn’t beautiful.

Shiro stayed quiet the entire walk back to Lance’s room.


	5. Chapter 5

Lance was sleeping again. Shiro lifted his head, looking over at him as Lance’s hand rested on his side. His lips were parted slightly as he slept, and- Shiro realized he looked relaxed. Like sleeping is the only time he could see Lance truly relaxed.

It wasn’t a good thought. Shiro mmrphed, laying back down. This war was taking their toll on all of them. And now a formerly carefree pilot like Lance was hiding just how much he was suffering just to... what? Be the smiling face for all of them?

Did Lance even lose that smiling when he was alone? He didn’t around Shiro-the-cat.

Around... Bella.

Slowly, Shiro stood, jumping off the bed with a thud. He was starting to make more and more noise as he moved, as if he was holding more weight. Shiro was taking that as a good sign that things were taking hold slower than Coran thought and he was starting to regain his missing mass.

Where was he going to go? As he left Lance’s room, he just... didn’t know. Just... wander.

Maybe Keith’s room. Pidge wasn’t exactly comfortable with him around, always afraid he was going to forget he wasn’t truly a cat and start scratching. Hunk was a little too affectionate. Keith wasn’t... as _good_ as Lance, but he cared.

Did he really want that, though? He knew Lance cared just as much, and he...

He thought he was beautiful.

Shiro sat down, scrubbing at his ears. That still took him by surprise. Lance thought he was beautiful. Why did he think that? Shiro licked his leg, scrubbing his face and ears before realizing what he just did.

Another cat-like behavior.

He mewed.

He didn’t like this at all.

”Shiro.” Keith’s voice made him look up. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he came up, drying his hair, still in his workout clothes. Keith bent down, fingers coming out to scratch his ears. “You okay there?”

He mewed again, trying to get across that he was a _cat_ and becoming more like a cat every day. And that he might never be _Shiro_ again.

”Did Lance kick you out? Come on, you can sleep in my room for a bit.” Keith stood, walking towards him room. After a moment, Shiro followed, head low.

He was changed. Ever since he had left Earth, he had been changed in one way or another. And now... this time, it was in a way that might cost them everything. He mewed again, making Keith stop and turn.

”Shiro?” He leaned down, picking him up. Keith wasn’t as good as holding Shiro as Lance, but it still felt good. “What’s wrong?” Keith paused, then groaned, tilting his head back. “Stupid question. You’re a cat.” He stroked a hand over Shiro, sighing. “Damn it.”

That made Shiro mew again. And then-

No, he wanted down now. Shiro jumped down, a loud thud making Keith wince. He wanted back with his human, with Lance-

...

_He wasn’t a cat._ Why was he thinking like this?

Another mew, distressed and high escaped him as he looked up at Keith. He wasn’t a cat. But he kept acting more like a cat, thinking more like one. He kept-

Keith bent down, frustrated. “I don’t know what to say,” he told him, petting his head. “Shiro, I can’t understand you. I don’t know what you want. I don’t know if you’re complaining about being a cat, or that you’re hungry, or- damn it, I don’t know anything here!” His hand paused on his head, shaking. “I just want you back to normal!”

That made two of them!

”Just... stop being a cat!”

If he knew how, he would!

Keith sighed, standing back up. “Go on. Go do your... Shiro things. Whatever they are.”

He had been about to say cat things. Even Keith was starting to think of him as a cat.

Slowly, Shiro walked away, back into Lance’s room. There wasn’t much more he could do. He couldn’t... turn back to human right this second.

He might ever be the Black Paladin again.

With that thought, he jumped back onto Lance’s bed, laying down next to Lance’s sleeping form. He might ever be himself again.

Shiro closed his eyes.

He didn’t know what he could do about that.

* * *

He felt _really_ heavy.

Shiro opened his eyes, looking into Lance’s face. He was still sleeping.

How could Lance think of him as beautiful when he was so gorgeous?

Maybe... if he turned back...

He’d tell him that.


	6. Chapter 6

”OH MY GOD, SHIRO.”

He had heard that tone before. When he had leapt on the bed while Lance had his hand between his legs. Shiro groaned, turning his head into the pillow.

Wait.

That wasn’t the right noise.

Shiro let his eyes open slowly. Lance was sitting up in bed, his mouth hanging open. And his eyes were not focused on Shiro’s face. Shiro started to sit up, then frowned. That wasn’t- that was not cat sitting up, that was-

”So, uh...” A sheet draped over him as Lance turned red. “I didn’t think you’d- we didn’t find a pile of clothes, so- just stay there. I’ll uh. Yeah.” Lance scrambled over the end of the bed, rushing out of the room quickly. Shiro blinked, looking down.

That wasn’t a cat.

Shiro sat up suddenly, the sheet falling down to his waist. Those were human legs. When he raised his hands, those were human. Arms. He patted a naked human chest. Felt his very familiar human face. He was human again.

A laugh bubbled out of his chest. He was human. The cure had finally worked. Shiro looked up at the ceiling, letting out a long breath. He was human again.

He didn’t know how long he was there, just looking at the ceiling. But Lance came back at some point, holding clothes. “Here,” he said, holding them out as his face turned red again. “I uh... should have known you’d uh... yeah.”

”Mm?” He was going to miss the mmrph. That was a useful sound. Shiro took the clothes, looking at them blankly. What was...

Oh.

_Oh._

Shiro blushed, reaching down to make sure the sheet was still above his waist. “Thank you, Lance,” he said, carefully forming the words. He had been mewing for so long that he needed to make sure the English coming from his lips made sense. And that it was English that he spoke.

”Mmhmm.” Lance turned his head away, swallowing. “So uh...” His eyes slid back, then snapped away as if he realized he was looking again. “I’ll uh... be somewhere. Else.”

”Lance.” He needed to say this before Lance left. Before he let Lance bury it.

”Yeah?”

”Thank you. For taking care of me as a cat.”

”Oh God, you remember.”

He didn’t know Lance could turn even redder.

”I uh.” Lance motioned to the door. “Have to. Go.” Before Shiro could say anything, he fled the room.

And that left Shiro to look down at the clothes clutched in his hand.

He should probably get dressed.

* * *

Something that wasn’t acceptable as a human: laying in people’s laps.

It wasn’t something he had to relearn. He actually wasn’t doing it at all. It was something he had to keep reminding himself. That he couldn’t curl up in Keith’s lap anymore. That he couldn’t lay in Lance’s lap and let him play with his ears.

It was so much easier as a cat.

He wish he could, though. When he could, when he was a cat, it had felt so good. Having someone else’s hands on him... he had forgotten how good it felt. But that was over now. He wasn’t going to have it like that again. It had happened, and now that he was human again, he had to do human things. Be human again.

Be Shiro. Not Belladonna.

Not Lance’s Bella.

He looked over at Lance. He had been... Lance’s. And Lance had been his human. It had been... everything. Perfect. As a cat, it was just what he needed.

He had been ‘beautiful’ to Lance.

Which was wrong.

_Lance_ was beautiful. Not him.

”Hey.” Keith nudged him, making him jump slightly. “You okay there?”

Shiro nodded, feeling slightly ashamed that he was starting to miss being a cat. “I’m fine.”

Keith eyed him, obviously not believing him but not pushing it. One of the perks of him respecting Shiro. “Fine. But if Lance is really bugging you that much, you can always punch that face until he stops doing it.”

That made Shiro laugh. “I appreciate your advice, but I would think that would be bad for Voltron,” he told him.

And how would he be able to tell Keith it wasn’t Lance’s fault, but his own for thinking a cat was easier than being human? That it had be so easy being Lance’s cat?

It would be so much easier being Lance’s cat again. Being Belladonna. Sleeping in Lance’s bed, being petted by Lance... being called ‘beautiful.’

Shiro looked over at Lance again as Keith walked away, leaving him alone with Lance.

No. Lance was beautiful. He always was.

Lance looked over at him, a smile crossing his face. “Hey, Shiro! What’s up?”

”Mm.” Shiro shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

”Oh... okay.” Lance furrowed his brow in confusion. “So, uh... you’re not giving me the evil eye about training today, right? Because I totally didn’t do that on purpose.”

Shiro sighed. He knew that. Lance had been extremely distracted about something. He hadn’t purposely done poorly. But it was still frustrating. “No, Lance. I am not.”

”Oh, good.”

Shiro paused. “Lance...” How could he say it right? “When I was... Bella.”

”Hm?” Lance frowned, confused. “What about it?”

”I think you were confusing me with yourself with that name.”

”What do yooooooh God.” Lance’s eyes went wide. He looked around, seeing everyone else too far away to hear them. “I uh... okay. You remembered that.”

”I... do. I just...” Shiro sighed. “Wanted to tell you.”

”Oh. Well.” Lance shifted his weight, looking away. “Okay then. Um. Thanks.”

”Lance, is something wrong?”

”I- no. Nothing wrong.” Lance smiled. “Hey, we should all get some food, right? I’m hungry, and I bet everyone else is too. Let’s go eat!”

Shiro nodded, feeling that he was missing something. “Of course, Lance.”

He was missing something big.


	7. Chapter 7

What was it that Shiro was missing? Lance kept... something was wrong with him. Shiro could see it. It stood there, obvious. Plain as day. And yet Shiro couldn’t tell what it was. All he knew was Lance didn’t seem to be acting right.

Was he sad that Shiro wasn’t Bella anymore? Did he want a real cat? Shiro made a mental note to see if they could get something approximating Earth cats out here.

But even that seemed wrong. It didn’t seem like he was sad that Bella was gone. Lance... seemed _sad._ That something had happened, and... what? It drove Shiro insane. What was going on? Why was Lance looking like that when he thought no one was looking? Why was Shiro wanting to nuzzle him until he stopped looking like that? Lance was _his_ human! He shouldn’t-

Shiro took a deep breath, moving to sit ups. Still those cat thoughts. He hadn’t quite gone back to normal there. Still wanting to lay in laps, still thinking of Lance as his human. It wasn’t... That wasn’t right. He was human. He was their leader. He didn’t lay down in laps, and he didn’t have...

He didn’t have a human.

Maybe he wanted one.

Shiro froze.

Maybe he wanted one. A human.

Shiro laid back and rubbed his mouth, taking a shaking breath. It was such a cat thought, but... He stared at the ceiling. It was his thought. Maybe he wanted a human. Wanted Lance.

He shut his eyes.

Lance wouldn’t want that. He wasn’t a cat anymore.

Shiro sat up suddenly, reaching for his towel to wipe off the sweat. He didn’t know how to process this anymore. He wanted a human of his own. Lance, to be specific. But he didn’t know how Lance would... if Lance wanted him.

With those thoughts plaguing him, Shiro went to take a shower. He didn’t know what to do with this new information. Maybe it was just because he had been held and cuddled so much as a cat. That had felt good. Maybe he just wanted that again, and having Lance as a human meant having more of that.

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

He wished it translated into human.

* * *

”Don’t bother him, Lance!”

”Shh! Do you want him to wake up?”

Mm? That was Lance and Keith... Shiro’s hand twitched slightly as he shifted, not yet wanting to wake up. There was a hand on his head, stroking his hair. It felt good. A soft sound rose in his throat, a weak imitation of the prrr he wanted to make.

”Then leave him alone! Come on, Pidge wants to see us.”

”I’ll be there in a little bit.”

Shiro could hear someone - Keith - leaving as he woke up a little more. But he felt so safe... he didn’t want to wake up...

There was a noise, then someone was leaning over him. Shiro’s eyes snapped open as he rolled over, hand halfway up before he realized it was Lance.

Who had been near his cheek, and was now over his lips...

Shiro let out a ragged breath as Lance didn’t move. Slowly, his human hand came up, and brushed Lance’s cheek-

Which caused him to pull away with a startled laugh. “Whoa, I didn’t realize you were awake.” Lance rubbed the back of his head, looking away. “You fell asleep on the couch. I-”

Shiro sat up, yawning. “It’s okay,” he told him, voice rumbling with sleep. “I don’t- mind.”

Lance just kept _blushing._ “I- uh-”

Shiro studied him for a moment, sleepy brain trying to figure out what was going on. He was so much better if it was a battle. Half asleep and trying to decode people... Was Lance... Shiro’s brow furrowed as Lance stood.

”I gotta go,” Lance told him. “Pidge will have my balls as a hat if I’m not there soon. Sorry for waking you up.”

”Mm, it’s okay.” Shiro watched him leave, a thought blossoming in his head. Had Lance... tried to kiss him?

Shiro pressed the pads of his human fingers to his lips. He felt...

Disappointed.

* * *

”Get out of the way!” Shiro held Lance in his arms, blood staining the floor as he hauled him across the room to a cryopod. Every second counted right now. He needed to get Lance in there right now, or else his human could die, Lance could-

The cryopod sealed shut as soon as Lance was inside, and Shiro took a few steps back, his hands shaking. He... that had been close. That had been too close. Shiro swallowed, looking into the cryopod, at Lance’s now peaceful face.

”Shiro.” Allura’s voice barely registered, as did her gentle touch on his shoulder. “He will be fine. There is no need for you to stay here.”

”Yeah.” Shiro turned away slightly, then stopped. It felt so wrong to leave him like this. “Allura, how long will he have to be in there?”

”Half a day at the most. Shiro, please get some rest.”

He shook his head. “I’ll stay here,” he told her. “Someone... should probably be here in case he comes out of it early.”

”Shiro...”

He ignored the growing steely tone in her voice and stared back into the cryopod. His human had gotten hurt. Had almost died. Shiro placed a hand on the pod, closing his eyes.

”I’m sorry, Lance,” he whispered. “You almost died on my watch.”

Allura remained behind him, quiet before sighing. “I will get you a blanket,” she told him before leaving.

Leaving Shiro with Lance’s broken, healing body.

”You tried to kiss me then, didn’t you?” he asked, leaning in slightly. “I would have let you, Lance. I’m still your Bella. You’re still my... You can’t be in here again. We all need you. I... I need you. Don’t do stupid things and have to be in here again. Please, Lance.”

Lance didn’t answer.

He wouldn’t until the cryopod was done healing him.

Shiro sat down next to another pod, waiting.


	8. Chapter 8

”Hey.” Shiro looked up as Keith sat down next to him. “Lance has been in there a while, hasn’t he.” At Shiro’s nod, he sighed, leaning forward. “Idiot should know better,” he grumbled. “He should-”

Shiro put his hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Hey there.”

After a deep long breath, Keith relaxed a bit. “It’s just... he’s making you sit here all worried about him. And you-” He broke off, shaking his head as Shiro dropped his hand.

”Keith?”

”Look, Shiro. I know what Belladonna means. I know what Lance was calling you. Pidge...” His ears turned red. “She pointed it out to me. He was calling you beautiful.” He cleared his throat, not looking at Shiro. “So, um... he’s been fucking insufferable since you turned back. And Pidge and I think that has something to do with it.”

He didn’t bother admonishing him for his language. It was a lost cause, for both him and Pidge. “Maybe.”

”Shiro, if he keeps being an asshole to Pidge, she is going to execute Plan 82-B. _That_ plan.”

”I’ll talk to her after Lance gets out,” he said hastily. Plan 82-B was a last ditch effort and more meant to deter attacking opponents, not to harass fellow Paladins.

”Or you talk to Lance. Make him stop being an asshole.”

Shiro fell silent. “Keith,” he started, then shook his head. “It’s...”

”If Pidge and I can see he has a huge crush on you and he’s taking his frustration for being a failure at that out on us, you can see it too.”

Honestly, it was a surprise in that he should have seen it coming. Everything fit. Shiro looked over at Lance’s cryopod, then sighed. “I suspected.”

”Then why-”

”Bella,” he said flatly. “Because I’m still thinking like Bella. Because I don’t know if how I feel is left over from when I was a cat or if it’s actually how I feel about him.”

Keith went quiet for a moment. Then- “Isn’t Bella just your instincts, then? What your gut is telling you? I mean, ‘Bella’ was you as a cat. So your instincts took over a little more... and let you know what you’re actually feeling about Lance? Then again-” His lip curled. “I am the king of using my instincts too much and getting hurt because of it.”

Shiro acknowledge that with a tilt of his head.

But what Keith said about instinct...

”I don’t know how to translate it into human, though.”

Keith shrugged. “Can’t help you there. I just follow my instincts. Sometimes they’re not human... but they just make sense to me.”

Make sense. Shiro looked down at his hands. What could Lance being his human mean?

Keith clasped his shoulder briefly before standing. “I have to hit the training room,” he told him. “Remember, tell Lance to knock it off. Plan 82-B.”

”I remember.” Shiro smiled at him. “Go on. When this is all over, we’re going to spar. I need to see how your footwork is doing.”

Keith nodded. “See you.”

When he left, Shiro looked over at Lance again. Instinct... what did it mean when a cat chose a human? They liked the human... trusted the human...

His eyes widened.

Loved the human.

Oh... _shit._

And Lance had been...

He had tried to...

Okay, he was an idiot. Shiro put his hands over his face, groaning. It took being turned into a cat and having the instinct of choosing a human to realize he loved Lance. And for him to have to practically be kissed to realize Lance liked him in return.

He was going to make it up to Lance when he got out.

He should have known.

* * *

It was a late hour when the cryopod hissed, opening.

Shiro stood suddenly, stepping quickly over to the pod. Just in time, as Lance fell into his arms. His legs scrambled to get under him, to steady himself again. Lance pulled himself upright, looking up at Shiro’s face. “Oh. Hi.”

”Hey.” He smiled down at Lance, not letting him go. “How are you feeling?”

”Could use some water... maybe food... a-are you going to let go of me or-?”

Shiro let his hands drop, hovering around Lance’s waist. “Before you leave, I want to talk to you. I was thinking while you were in there...”

”Hey, man...” Lance smiled uneasily, but didn’t pull away. “Everything okay?”

”Do you know what it means when a cat chooses a human?”

”Huh?” Lance looked up at him? “Yeah. Trust. Love. Companionship. Why?”

Shiro licked his lips, his heart beating a wild tattoo in his chest. “When I was Bella... you were my human. I still think you are.”

”I... what... huh... you...”

Shiro let his hands fall away, straightening. “That’s-”

Lance surged forward, grabbing his face and kissing him.

And Shiro’s hands were back, gripping Lance’s hips hard, pulling him close.

He didn’t know how long they were kissing. But finally, slowly, Lance pulled away, smiling. “Okay. So I’m your human. Do you ‘nya’?”

Shiro rolled his eyes.

”It’s okay! We can work on that.” Lance grinned, leaning in to kiss him again.

A thought occurred to Shiro. “Lance,” he said between kisses, “Pidge is-”

”Not here, so keep kissing me.”

... he’d tell him later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm updating early because a) it's done and b) I need a day between this one and the next fic. Because holy shit the next one is Not Pretty.
> 
> Thank you all so much. I am so glad this got the response it did. I don't do cute very often so I'm afraid my cute is not good. Thank you and heart you all!
> 
> And the wonderful infiniterhapsody drew a wonderful picture of Lance and Bella here: http://wineturnstowater.tumblr.com/post/154088448427/rinasart-atropa-belladonna-vagrantbreath-a


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